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You know, it's probably the fact that I work in the sport and have contact with everyone from trainers to managers, promoters, referee's, judges, boxing officials from various states, sanctioning body officials, press writers, commentators,casino marketing people, venue heads, and the fighters themselves, all of which have something they want me to announce a certain way, or mention as many times as possible, or correct a misprint when I say something on the mic - that gives me a different outlook on the sport than the vast majority of you.
To the average boxing fan I guess the fighters are larger than life figures, people you only see on T.V. - but to me they are just people, some of which make alot of money, some of which just do it for the love of the sport.
Some of my best friends are fighters that will never be Champions, but they toil on, working hard in the gym, and at a regular job too. It's those guys who get the most respect in my eyes, because nothing is handed to them.
But the fighters who we talk about on these forums are the guys who get treated like Kings, they get new cars on loan to drive around in while at some training camp away from home, they get fancy suites in the venues and have people waiting on them hand and foot. Some of them get big heads and treat people like **** expecting the world to revolve around them. Money and fame does funny things to some people, alot of them forget all the time it took someone else on the phones just trying to get them on a card when they were nothing but a prospect.
I have had my share of setbacks as a Ring Announcer, from last second replacement, from being bumped because I am white, to promoters screwing me out of money, to events being cancelled 30 minutes before showtime after you spent 5 hours on a plane getting there! You would not believe the politics that are involved even for a Ring Announcer position if you want to make it to an HBO or Showtime gig, even ESPN and Fox. In America there are only about 5 or 6 of us that get to do the televised events, and believe me, there are hundreds of Ring Announcers in this country! I am lucky, I have been seen and heard on all the major networks and international broadcasts too, and I am on a monthly boxing series in Tennessee on UPN of all things - go figure.
For me, boxing is a business, one that I am proud to be a part of, I get to do my thing in front of thousands of people, but getting there and staying there is a hard thing to achieve. The "powers that be" have their own guys, and you really have to shine to be able to bump someone aside to get the gig.
It's my own little struggle that I have been fighting for 10 years now, and I know that it doesn't mean **** to anyone but me, but when some poster tries to tell me I don't have a clue about the sport of boxing it really makes me want to leave the forum posting for the people who really don't know about boxing...
P.S. I think I lost weight just typing that useless rant!
To the average boxing fan I guess the fighters are larger than life figures, people you only see on T.V. - but to me they are just people, some of which make alot of money, some of which just do it for the love of the sport.
Some of my best friends are fighters that will never be Champions, but they toil on, working hard in the gym, and at a regular job too. It's those guys who get the most respect in my eyes, because nothing is handed to them.
But the fighters who we talk about on these forums are the guys who get treated like Kings, they get new cars on loan to drive around in while at some training camp away from home, they get fancy suites in the venues and have people waiting on them hand and foot. Some of them get big heads and treat people like **** expecting the world to revolve around them. Money and fame does funny things to some people, alot of them forget all the time it took someone else on the phones just trying to get them on a card when they were nothing but a prospect.
I have had my share of setbacks as a Ring Announcer, from last second replacement, from being bumped because I am white, to promoters screwing me out of money, to events being cancelled 30 minutes before showtime after you spent 5 hours on a plane getting there! You would not believe the politics that are involved even for a Ring Announcer position if you want to make it to an HBO or Showtime gig, even ESPN and Fox. In America there are only about 5 or 6 of us that get to do the televised events, and believe me, there are hundreds of Ring Announcers in this country! I am lucky, I have been seen and heard on all the major networks and international broadcasts too, and I am on a monthly boxing series in Tennessee on UPN of all things - go figure.
For me, boxing is a business, one that I am proud to be a part of, I get to do my thing in front of thousands of people, but getting there and staying there is a hard thing to achieve. The "powers that be" have their own guys, and you really have to shine to be able to bump someone aside to get the gig.
It's my own little struggle that I have been fighting for 10 years now, and I know that it doesn't mean **** to anyone but me, but when some poster tries to tell me I don't have a clue about the sport of boxing it really makes me want to leave the forum posting for the people who really don't know about boxing...
P.S. I think I lost weight just typing that useless rant!
I know it may not make a hell of alot of difference to you, but I want you to know I appreciate your presence and your knowledge. You are a breath of fresh air. At least some of the people on this site aren't boneheads. 
EXCELLENT !!!!
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